The tools, techniques, and methods for analyzing an existing business process, designing an improved process, and developing an information system that automates or supports the improved business process are covered in this book. The topics addressed include process modeling basics; fundamental process performance measures; process simulation essentials; knowledge management; process innovation; data modeling; class diagrams; and system design, implementation, and maintenance guidelines.

Two parts comprise the book. Part 1, in eight chapters, introduces the reader to process analysis, process design, and information systems development tools. Part 2 uses the tabular application development (TAD) methodology, which was developed by the authors, to apply the tools and techniques introduced in the first part. This partitioning is reasonable because the complexity of analyzing, improving, or innovating business processes resides in the application domain, and the tools for process management and systems development are relatively simple.

Each chapter in Part 1 is essentially a brief summary of a specific process management concept, tool, or technique that fails to bring out its subtleties. There are very few examples and no end-of-chapter problems. Part 2 tries to rectify this weakness. It introduces a systematic approach of documenting the business processes of a firm in a tabular format that captures the business processes and their attributes at different levels of granularity. The authors illustrate the methodology with a running case that flows through the phases of process identification, process analysis, process redesign, and systems development. The last chapter of the book documents a second case study. While the first part of the book exposes the reader to process management tools, the second part helps in building functional skills for meaningful participation in process improvement initiatives.

It should be mentioned that this is not a book on business process management (BPM), which is a field that deals with end-to-end business processes that (1) are embedded within enterprise systems and often span across organizational boundaries creating problems of process visibility and process control; (2) require continual alignment with business strategy and ascertain performance through trade-offs of operational and financial measures; and (3) are implemented using business process management systems (BPMS) technology.